Kansas City Chiefs cut long-time safety Eric Berry

"We continually evaluate every aspect of our football team and we came to the decision that it was in our best interest to release Eric", Chiefs General Manager Brett Veach said. "We wish him nothing but the best".

"I'd like to thank Eric for his contributions to our team and the Kansas City community over the last nine years", coach Andy Reid said Wednesday in a statement from the Chiefs. "He will always be an important part of our Chiefs family, and we wish him nothing but the best in the future".

His teammate, Jeff Allen, wrote on Twitter, "I don't think I've ever played with someone that loves the game of football as much as Eric Berry".

Berry was a first-round pick of the Chiefs out of the University of Tennessee in the 2010 draft and was a legitimate star when he was healthy, though that became increasingly uncommon. The 30-year-old tore his ACL in the 2011 season opener only to have a bout with lymphoma that cut his 2014 campaign short. It was the first of four seasons in which he missed nearly an entire campaign. He worked out during the off-season while undergoing chemotherapy treatments.

Before the Redskins signed safety Landon Collins, Berry was the league's top-paid safety, averaging $13 million per season on a six-year contract he signed in 2017. The veteran All-Pro played in 89 games (87 starts) in his nine seasons with the Chiefs. The turnaround for the team was immediate, going 10-6 that season to win the AFC West, and the team made the playoffs for the first time since 2006.

Berry's release is the latest of several moves on defense for the Chiefs.